100% of the wood floor and stair treads in the historic Octagon were salvaged from other buildings.
• Over 40% of the materials used
in construction of The Octagon
are from recycled sources,
including the structural steel,
acoustical tiles, and insulation.
• The entertainment center
in The Octagon lounge is
made from sunflower seeds,
a rapidly renewable material.
• Adirondack deck chairs
are made from 100%
recycled plastic.
MATERIALS
RECYCLED, RAPIDLY RENEWABLE, LOCAL
The use of construction materials with recycled
content reduces the impacts associated
with extracting and processing raw materials.
In addition, rapidly renewable materials reduce
the depletion of finite raw materials and
long-cycle renewable materials.
Over 50% of the materals used in the
construction of The Octagon were manufactured
within 500 miles of the site, including all of the
concrete, wood, gypsum board, ceramic tiles and
kitchen cabinets.
Using local materials reduces the environmental
impacts associated with transportation and
supports the regional economy.
• Kitchen cabinets are made
from wheat hulls, also a
rapidly renewable material.
The pool waste water is used to discharge heat and cool the building in the summer.
ENERGY
EFFICIENCY
The Octagon consumes far less energy than a
comparable, traditional building. In fact, an
extensive review and testing process has confirmed
that the building is 35% more energy efficient than
what is required by the New York State building
code. This has been accomplished through a
wide variety of building design and equipment
choices, such as highly insulated walls and
roof, occupancy sensors to control hallway and
stair lighting, and high-efficiency heat pumps
in every apartment.
Saving energy helps reduce the greenhouse gas
emissions associated with energy production, and
also saves money on utility bills. Meter readings
from the first several months of operation indicate
that on an annual basis Octagon tenants will save
on electric bills: $90-160 in Studios, $105-$190 in
1-Bedrooms, $120-$215 in 2-Bedrooms, and
$150-$270 in 3-Bedrooms.
• Double-pane, low-e and argon
filled windows transmit
significantly less thermal energy
than standard windows.
• High-efficiency, natural gas-fired
condensing boilers operate at
95%+ thermal efficiency.
• The GFX heat recovery system
captures heat from shower
and dishwasher water.
• Rooftop heat recovery units have
aluminum coils that allow incoming
fresh air to be pre-heated in the
winter and pre-cooled in
the summer.
A first-class ventilation system coupled with big windows and natural light makes for cleaner, fresher air at The Octagon.
INDOOR
ENVIRONMENTAL
AIR QUALITY
The Octagon provides for the comfort and
well-being of its occupants by providing excellent
indoor air quality. This has been accomplished by
installing a first-class ventilation system, operable
windows in every apartment, windows with
extensive natural light and views, as well as through
the use of low-emitting materials (including wood
floors, carpets, paint, and adhesives). Air quality has
been maintained through the implementation of an
indoor air quality management plan during
construction and building operations.
As a result of these efforts, The Octagon successfully
met the rigorous NYS Green Building Indoor
Air Quality standards, which included testing for
formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds,
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, airborne
particulates and radon. Air quality testing will
continue for the first 5 years of operation.
• The Octagon’s main entry
includes a vestibule which helps
prevent dirt and particulates
from entering the building.
• The Octagon uses environmentally
friendly cleaning products such
as Simple Green, which is
non-toxic and biodegradable.
• Programmable thermostats
help maintain the comfort level
of apartments and reduce
energy use and energy bills.
• Expansive views connect
indoor and outdoor spaces,
while wood flooring in every
apartment contains no added
urea-formaldehyde resins,
which are oderous and
potentially harmful.
The Octagon’s solar panels, located on top of the 14-story building, are subject to strong winds and dramatic weather
conditions. As a result, a heavy-duty system involving concrete pavers and a steel frame secures the panels to the roof.
PHOTOVOLTAIC
SYSTEM
The Octagon includes a 50kW photovoltaic
system located on the roof of the north and south
towers. This system, sized to light the Octagon’s
hallways, operates in parallel with the local utility
provider and is the largest array of solar panels
on a residential building in New York City. Photovoltaic systems, along with fuel cells, wind, solar
thermal, biomass, tidal, geothermal, and methane
waste, are examples of renewable energy sources.
The Octagon’s solar panel array includes a data
acquisition system with weather monitoring
equipment and a web-based interface demonstrating the system’s realtime energy production
in relation to various environmental characteristics,
including temperature, wind speed adn irradiance
(the intensity fo the sun).
Free Flow System turbine installation in the East River, 2008.
TIDAL ENERGY
Photo: Christopher R. Gray / Verdant Power, Inc.
ROOSEVELT ISLAND TIDAL ENERGY PROJECT
The Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy Project (RITE) is an initiative that will bring
underwater turbine fields to the East River and clean, sustainable energy to
Roosevelt Island. Verdant Power, a Virginia-based company that has received
more than $2 million in funding from the New York State Energy Research &
Development Authority (NYSERDA), received approval to put two turbines in
the channel between Roosevelt Island and Queens (just north of the Roosevelt
Island Bridge) to examine if energy can be generated efficiently without
disturbing the natural environment. One of the turbines will send energy to
Gristedes and Motorgate, while the other will be connected to monitoring
equipment that will evaluate its performance. If this inital test is a success, four
more turbines could be installed for an 18-month period. Eventually, Verdant
Power hopes to install an underwater field of 200-300 turbines with a capacity
of up to 10 MW.
Each turbine has a three-bladed rotor that can turn at up to 32 revolutions per
minute, depending on the flow of water, and produce 16-32 kilowatts of electricity. New York University has identified nearly 600 MW of potential kinetic
hydropower in the State of New York, while NYSERDA has identified a potential
of more than 1,000 MW of capacity.
But what about the fish? The blades turn relatively slowly and the turbines are
spaced out (40 to 100 feet apart). As a result, the underwater turbines are not
expected to harm marine life. Just to be sure, eighteen hydroacoustic transducers will be deployed with the test turbines to monitor fish behavior and impact.
Photo: Verdant Power, Inc.